The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1887-04-08
CHAPTER w.
BESSIE IS ASKED IN MARRIAGE.

on him by the Infatuated cock ostrich ut i
by the way, humiiating thing to b
knocked out of time by feathered fowl
and set to work to learn the routine OF fari
life lie did not find this disagreeable task
especially when he had SO fair an instructies
as Bessie, who knew all about it, to show hr
the way in which he should go. Naturally O
an energetic and hard working temperament
he very soon got more or less into the swim
of the thing, and at the end of six weeks be
gan to talk quite learnedly of cattle and os
tlicles and sweet and sour veldt. About ono
week or so Bessie used to put him through
a regular examination as to his progress; ais
she gave him lessons in Dutch and Zulu, botl
of which tongues she spoke to perfection; 81
it will be seen that lie did not lack for pleas
ant and profitable employment. Another
thing was that he grew much attached to ole
Silas Croft The old gentleman, with his hand
some, honest face, his large and varied stool
of experience, and his sturdy English charac
ter, madea great impression on his mind. II,
had never met man quite like him before
Nor was the liking unreciprocated, for hi.
host took wonderful fancy to John Mel
"You see, my DEAR he explained to his niece
Bessie, 'he's quiet, and he doesn't know much
about farming, but he's willing to learn, and
he's such gentleman Now, where one has
Kaffirs to deal with, as on place like this
| you must have n gentleman. Your mean
white will never get anything out of a Kaffir
that's why the Beers kill them and fog them,
because they can't get anything out of them
without But you see Capt Mel gets on well
| enough with them. l think he'll do, my
| DEAR l think he'll do, and Bessie quite agreed
with him. And so it came to pass that after
this six weeks trial the bargain was finally
struck and John paid over his 81 900 and
took third interest in Mooifontein.
Now it is not possible, in a general way,
for a youngish man like John Mel to live in
the same house with young and lovely
woman like Bessie Croft without running
more or less risk of ENHANCEMENT. More es-
pecially is this so where the two people have
little or no outside society or distraction to
divert the attention from each other Not
that there was as yet, at any rate, the
slightest hint of affection between them.
Only they liked one another very much, and
found i. nleasant to be G Sood deal together.
In short, they were walking along thai easy,
winding road that leads to the mountain
paths of love. 1t is yerN1 broad road, like
another road that runs elsewhere, and, also
like this last, it has wide gate. Sometimes,
LOO IL IpuuS W ueSbIucllDfl. DIlU lOF all tllsir
it is most agreeable one to follow hand in
hand winding as it does through the pleasant
meadows of companionshp The view is
rather limited, it is true, and homelike-fuIl
of familiar things. There stand the kline.
knee deep in the grass; there runs the water:
and there grows the corn. Also one can stoo
il one likes. BY and by it grows different
Bv and by when the travellers tread tbc
G
and torrents rush. lightning will fall
ana storms vii bind; and who can know
that they will attain al, last to that far off
peal,. crowned With IL lorv OF a perfect
neacc which men cali hlDpiprss2 Thee ur,
those who say Il never roi ha reached on,l
flat the halo wl.i.l, rests mon H. stones is No
earthly IiolIt Int rather. ms IL wcrc =
,.on,,., IF = baaco.,--a cIo,v reflected v.l,onac
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